Love Does Not Rejoice In Wrongdoing Series

Love Does Not Rejoice In Wrongdoing

Jeffery Anselmi / General Adult

Love Better

INTRODUCTION

SLIDE 1—MAIN TITLE SLIDE

- Love better.

- Loving better is a work in progress.

- Remember, we are seeking to learn how to love our church family and those in the community better.

- Things happen in life that sometimes make it more difficult to love better— to love others as Jesus wants us to love them.

- The discussion we had last week about love not being resentful really resonated with me.

- This week, we move to another one of those “love does not” statements.

SLIDE 2- MAIN SLIDE

- Love Does Not Rejoice In Wrongdoing.

- Allow me to share a story about human nature.

- Have you ever noticed how people sometimes get satisfaction from others’ failures?

- It’s a curious tendency that starkly contrasts with the essence of true love.

- True love, as defined by the teachings of Jesus, doesn’t delight in such moments.

- Instead, it rejoices in truth and righteousness.

- Today, we delve into Jesus' mission, which exemplifies a love that lifts others up and does not revel in their downfalls.

VERSE SLIDE-1 SLIDE

1 Corinthians 13:6 NET 2nd ed.

6 It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.

SERMON

SLIDE 3—MAIN POINT 1

I. Love Does Not …

- Love is not glad about injustices but rejoices in the truth.

- Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing.

- 1 Corinthians 13:6 points out that a person motivated by love does not rejoice or gloat when they see unrighteousness, whether it is wrongdoing committed by others or disasters they experience.

- The Corinthians, however, were noted to have been boasting even when sin was present in their congregation.

SLIDE 4-—LOVE IS NOT GLAD ABOUT INJUSTICES

- The word translated injustice refers to anything that is wrong in God's sight, causing grief to a heart full of love.

- Not only does it cause harm to the wronged person, but it also displeases God and will result in punishment for the wrongdoer.

- Therefore, love feels grief when another person, especially a fellow believer, commits a wrong act.

- Love grieves instead of rejoicing when unrighteousness or injustices happen.

- Genuine love does not take pleasure in wrongdoing, unfairness, or evil.

- It does not support or celebrate harm done to others, dishonesty, or immoral actions—even if they benefit oneself or allies.

- Instead, love finds joy in what is right, fair, true, and good.

- True love aligns with integrity and virtue.

- So, if a person acts in a way that harms others or benefits from corrupt practices, a loving heart would not be glad about that.

- Love seeks justice and truth for all people, even when it is costly or inconvenient.

- The word translated “rejoices” often conveys a joy that is deeply rooted in faith and reflects the believer's relationship with God.

- This joy is considered a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and a response to God's goodness and grace.

- Rejoicing in the New Testament can signify the believer's rejoicing in salvation, God's promises, and advancing the Gospel.

- The word rejoice and its usage in scripture encourage Christians to maintain an attitude of joy that is not dependent on situational happiness but is rooted in the eternal truths and hope found in Jesus Christ.

- For a Christian to rejoice, celebrate, or be happy when injustice happens is an abuse of rejoicing.

- 1 Corinthians 13:6 teaches that love does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth.

- This principle helps us understand the more profound message in Luke 4:18–30, where Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue.

- Jesus declares that He has been sent to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, and liberation for the oppressed.

- At first, people were impressed by His words.

- But when Jesus confronts them with truth, they respond with anger and rejection.

- They were willing to receive comforting words for themselves, but not challenging truths about God's justice and mercy toward outsiders.

- Their love was conditional and ultimately self-serving. They were unwilling to rejoice in the truth when it did not align with their expectations or prejudices.

- This situation reflects the heart of 1 Corinthians 13:6.

- True love does not just rejoice when things feel good or serve our interests.

- It celebrates truth and righteousness, even when it challenges us.

- In contrast, the people in the synagogue did not embody love at that moment—they rejected the truth and were angered by God’s justice being extended beyond their limits.

- Thus, as Paul described, love is anchored not in favoritism or emotion, but in alignment with God’s holy and just character.